It’s been a year since I’ve been “back outside” around the city mixing and mingling with people I used to frequently bump into. During some of my conversations, I’ve cautiously shared that I would be coming out of my post-marriage-and-kids hiatus and getting back to doing a lot of the things I’ve always been known for – being a PR/Media girl, covering events, doing interviews and hosting events of my own.

Let me be clear – I never stopped working in the industry completely, I just stopped sharing my work and I took a step back from creating lifestyle and entertainment content. So much happened in so little time, and not just with my personal life. The industry itself has evolved at record speed and we’ve lived through major historical events like the George Floyd protests and a whole entire pandemic.

I had to take a step back to really figure out what I wanted out of life and what direction I wanted to take with my career. That involved a lot of healing, self reflection and honestly, just time itself. With age and personal growth, I’m just not into rushing things and believe it or not, I’ve been planning my rebrand for more than a year (maybe even more than two). The time has finally come for me to bring those plans to life!

I started with this website in March and production for a big project I’m planning to release soon, but I knew that I wouldn’t be able to fully embrace this new chapter without updating my visual identity. So, let’s get into all the behind-the-scenes details of my personal branding photoshoot!

Because I’d spent so much time thinking through the look and feel of my brand, I already knew that I wanted to wear vibrant colors and look exactly how I look in real life, in the final photos. I also wanted to convey the different aspects of my career as a communications consultant with props, so it was honestly quite easy to prepare for the shoot.

However, I did have two main concerns:

I needed to be able to use the photos on my website for at least a year and
I wanted clean, crisp headshots that would be appropriate for a variety of different needs such as public speaking, promotions, to include in my digital downloads and for my LinkedIn profile.

There’s no shortage of photographers in the Jackson area, but I wanted to work with someone who would understand what it was like for me to take this step. Even though I’m not a shy person by any means, it not’s easy to put yourself out there again after having multiple children and being in an industry that has changed exponentially in a short period of time.

Candace Harris of Candace Harris Photography immediately came to mind.

Not only is she an amazing photographer, she photographed Tony and I after we got engaged, we went to high school together and she’s a multi-talented mom and business owner as well. In fact, she had a daughter shortly after I had mine and she could relate to a lot of what I’d shared about my struggles – even the ones I had on the day of the shoot.

Candace was really great at giving me direction and helping me feel comfortable. I kept going on and on about how it was the most comfortable I’ve ever been in front of someone else’s camera. Even Tony noted how much fun it looked like I was having.

Despite experiencing a couple of instances where I wanted to reschedule the entire thing, I ultimately decided to use all the challenges leading up to the session as motivation to see it through. I kept my end goal in mind and knowing that I would be able to check a huge task off my to-do list gave me a mood boost.

When we wrapped, I was literally beaming! I was so proud of myself. I’m always pulling off plans and getting results for my clients and other projects I’ve been part of, and I put my own ideas on the back burner. It felt great to invest in myself and reach a major milestone in this rebranding process.

Check out a few of my favorite shots!